Ignition mechanism for internal-combustion engines.



S. C. McKEOWN. IGNITION MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL pomausnoN ENGINES- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. I916.

l fig wo Patented A r. 9,1918;

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F/c A s. c. McKEOWN. IGNITION MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. ms. 1922,53 1, Eatentmfl Apr. 9, 1918.

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6 Omuz/C. 7 jcanq I UNITED ETATE$ PATENT SAMUEECHRISTOPHER MCKEOVVN, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO SPLITDORF ELECTRICAL COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

IGNITION MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. MCKEOWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ignition Mechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to means for supplying the initial sparks to internal combustion engines, and is particularly designed for use in connection with such engines when applied'to motor vehicles, aeroplanes, or the like.

In large multi-cylinder engines it is quite ditlic'ult to crank by hand, and for obvious reasons, on many aeroplane engines, mechanical starting devices arenot employed. Such engines are now provided with eight or more cylinders, and the magneto is so geared to these engines that when the engine is turned over by hand the magneto rotor is moved so slowly that the spark generated is quite inadequate to ignite the cylinder charge.

To eliminate the above conditions it is necessary to either use a battery in connection with the magneto for starting, which is objectionableespecially on aeroplanes by adding complication and weight, or a separate hand-operated magneto is used in addition to the service magneto-also obviously objectionable, or the service magneto is provided with a so called impulse starting device adapted to quickly move the rotor part of a revolution-which is objectionable in that only a single spark is generated, which may not ignite the charge in the engine and which cannot be repeated withoutre-setting the device.

My invention eliminates all of the foregoing objections and includes in .one mechanism all of the features necessary to both start and run the engine.

The arrangement is simple and of few parts, and the magneto proper of known design and eificiency.

For the sake of illustration I will show my invention as applied to the type of magneto known in trade as the Dixie, although it is obvious that there are-othertypes that Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 9, 191%..

Application filed June 21, 1916. Serial No. 104,937.

In the accompanying drawings in which like figures of reference denote the same parts wherever they are shown, Figure 1 is a view partly in section of a magneto embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a view partly in section at right angles to the view Fig. 1 and showing the auxiliary breaker mechanism; Fig, 3, a view' of the rotor clutch, member; Fig. l, a view of the shaft clutch member; and Fig. 5, a diagram'of the circuits of the device. p

The magneto here shown for the sake of illustration comprises the permanent-magnets 1 and the supporting base or frame 2, in which is embedded the pole pieces 3 and a supporting the core carrying the generating windings or coil 5. In this field structure is supported in any suitable manner suc'h as by the end plates 6 and 7-- a rotor consisting ofthe sl ft 8 having rigidly connected thereto the driving gear 9 adapted to mesh with a gear (not shown) on a movable part of the engine.

4 It is obvious that the shaft 8 may be driven in any other way, as long as it is positively driven in synchronism with the engine.

Carried upon the shaft 8 and revoluble thereon are the magnetic members 10 and 11 constituting the revolving polar extremities of the magnets l. Tlhese me-mbers are connected together to form a unitary rotor by means of the hollow block 12.

Carried on the shaft 8 is the clutch member 13 having a slot or keyway H for the shaft key 15. This clutch member has a toothed face, as shown at 16, normally held in engagement with the toothed face 17 of the rotor member 10 by means ofa suitable spring 18, it being understood that 13 has I the engine.

12 may revolve upon the shaft 8, the clutch 1 shaft 8. The number of teeth in 16 and 1'? are such as to always properly position the unit rotor on shaft 8 in proper time with I shall now describe how this invention will start an engine'- either at rest, or that is being turned very slowly, as is sometimes done with aeroplane engines when starting. 24 denotes a suitable shaft, suchas the starting crank of the engine, having thereon a handle 25 anda suitable sprocket or gear 26. 27 denotes an auxiliary shaft driven from said shaft 24, althoughit is obvious that handle 25 may be connected directly to end 28 of shaft 27. Loosely mounted upon shaft 27 is the sleeve 29 to which is rigidly attached the gear 21. The sleeve 29 is provided with a diagonal slot 30 inwhich is positioned the pin' 31 rigidly secured to shaft 27. When shaft 27 is rotatedin the direction indicated by the arrow 32 pin 31 will occupy the position shown at Fig. 1, and

gear 21 will be rotated in the direction shown by arrow This forces the sleeve 29 outwardly so that the gears 20 and 21 are in mesh' as shown in Fig. '1 and-are revolved, causing a rotation of the unit rotor structure 10, 11, and 12, as previously described. A

Suitable provision must be made for interrupting the primary current in the magneto inunison with the manual 'operation of the rotor, so ll provide the auxiliary interrupter mechanism'conslstmg of the menlated contact 34 and movable cdntact 85, the

latter having a projecting bumper 36 adapted to be engaged by the cam 3'7 shown at a dotted lines in'Fig. 2, and positioned on and really forming a part of the unit rotor structure. This auxiliary interrupter mechanism operates in synchronism with the rotation of the rotor independent of shaft 8, thereby properly timing the magneto current in a well known manner.

The spark timing in relation to the engine is accomplished in any well known manner, such as the rocking of the entire field struc: turecomprising the pole pieces 3 and 4,, the

coil 5, and the auxiliary interrupter members 34 and 35, which, with the type of magneto shown, maintains the spark always at its maximum either advanced or retarded.

It will be obvious, for the spark to be effective at the engine,-that the magneto distributer 38-which may be of any suitable type-must-be in connection withsome one of the spark plug cables indicated at 39.-

- neeaeea the distributor connects. A rain of sparks will be delivered to said plug as long as the handle 25 is turned, so that the advantage of being able to deliver more than a single spark is attained.

It will be evident that a false spark can- 'not be made in the cylinders of the engine,

as the operation of the auxiliary interrupter is dependent upon the position of the contacts of the service interrupter hereinafter described. If said service interrupter is not open, then the engine may be turned slightly until it is, this service interrupter being. operated by shaft 8. This also insures the distributer being in contact with some one of the spark plugs. y

T will now describe the normal or running operation of the magneto.

The gears 20 and 21 being in mesh and being revolved by hand, as just described, a

rain of sparks will bedelivered to some} one, of the cylinders. Upon the engine starting, gear 9 is thereby revolved in the direction of the arrow 23, whereupon the teethin clutch faces 18 and 17 engage, and the rotor is revolved .in the same direction as when driven hand. This immediately increases the speed of gears 2) and 21, and shaft 2? accordingly lags in a reverse direc- 'tion from arrow 33, whereupon pin 31 travels up the slot 30, and sleeve 29 is there:

by moved to the right, Fig. l, and gears 20 and 21 are disengaged. A friction brake 41 is provided to hold sleeve 29 in this position.

As gear 33 comes out of mesh it engages the end 42 of the plunger 43, which is nor-' mally pressed outwardly by spring 44. The. end 43 of said plunger'rides under and engagesthe movable contact member 35 of the auxiliary interrupter and disables the same? The service interrupter inclosed in the usual casing 45 and driven by the cam 46 rigidly securedto shaft 8 now operates in the usual by the numeral 48. It will be remembered that the auxiliary interrupter 48 is only operated during the manual rotation of the rotor of the magneto when starting, and is then immediately disabled, the. service interrupter 47 being the one employed during the normal running of the engine. lit will alsobe remembered that the operation of the auxiliary interrupter 48 is dependent upon the position of the service interrupter 47, for timing reasons.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination witlgr an internal combustion engine, ignition inttrumentalities including a magneto having-a rotatable shaft and. a flux shifting member mounted on said shaft, a clutch adapted to operatively con nect said shaft and said flux shifting member, means whereby said shaft may be driven from a moving part of the engine, and means for disengaging said clutch whereby the flux shifting membermay be rotated independently of the shaft.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, ignition instrumentalities including a magneto having a rotatable shaft and a flux shifting member mounted on said shaft, a clutch adapted to operatively connect said shaft and said flux shifting member, means whereby said shaft may be driven from a moving part of the engine, and means for rotating said flux shifting member independently of said shaft, said. clutch being constructed so as to permit the flux shifting member to be rotated in the direction of the normal rotation of the flux shifting member by the shaft when said shaft is at rest. a e

3. In combination bustion engine, ignition instrumentalities including a magneto having a rotor, a shaft therefor, on which said rotor is mounted, means for connecting the shaft to the rotor when turned in a direction for normal rotation of said rotor, said means permitting the rotor to be rotated in said normal direction when the shaft is at rest, means- "the rotor and automatically disengaged from each other when the rotor is operated by the shaft 4. In combination with an internal combustion engine, ignition instrumentalities including a magneto having a rotor, a shaft (therefor, on which said rotor is mounted, 'neans for connecting the shaft to the rotor when turned in a direction for normal rotation of said rotor, said means permitting the rotor to be rotated in said normal direction when the shaft is at rest, means whereby the shaft may be driven through a'moving part of the engine and hand operated means for rotating the rotor when the-shaft is at rest, said. hand operated means including gears adapted to intermesh when said with an internal com hand operated means is rotated in a direction for rotating the rotor and whereby said gears are caused to be disengaged from each other when the rotor is operated by said shaft.

5.In combination with an internal combustion engine, ignition instrumentalities including a magneto having rotatable members adapted to be driven from a moving part of the engine, a clutch adapted to operatively connect said rotatable members when one of said members is rotated by the engine and means for rotating the other member, said means including an operative shaft having a sliding gear connection with a gear on said last named member,

6. In an ignition dynamo; a driving shaft adapted to be positively driven, a rotor mounted on said shaft and revolublethereon, a clutch adapted to normally drive said rotor from said shaft, interrupter mechanism operated from said shaft, auxiliary interrupter mechanism operated from said rotor, and means for disengaging from and revolving said rotor on said shaft independently thereof, substantially as described.

7. In an ignition dynamo, a shaft adapted to be positively driven, a rotor mounted thereon, means for driving said rotor from said shaft, means for disengaging said rotor from said shaft and driving the said rotor inde pendently thereof, interrupter mechanism operated by the rotation of said shaft, and auxiliary mechanism operated in synchronism with the independent rotation of said rotor, substantially as described.

8. In an ignition'dynamo, a rotating shaft, a generating element supported thereon and adapted for normal rotation therewith, means for rotating said element independently of said shaft, said means including an auxiliary shaft supported by the framework of said dynamo, interrupter mechanism'adapted to-be operatedby said first mentioned shaft, and auxiliary interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated synchronously with the independent operation of said generating element, substantially as described. v

9. In anignition dynamo, an operating shaft, a rotor'carried on said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated-by said shaft, interrupter mechanism adapted to be 0 erated by said rotor, and means for disagling said lastmentioned interrupter.

10. In an ignition dynamo, an operating shaft, a rotor carried on said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated by said shaft, interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated by said rotor, means for revolving said rotor on said shaft, and means operated by said last mentioned means for disabling said last mentioned interrupter.

" ble thereon and positioned within said field 11. In an ignition dynamo, a coil-carrying field structure, an operating shaft, a rotor carried on saidshaft independently revolustructure, interrupter mechanism adapted to ,be operated by said shaft and secured to said field structure, and interrupter mechanism adapted to be operated by said rotor carried on said field structure.v

12. In an ignition dynamo, a permanent magnet, a coil-carrying field structure having poles positioned at right angles of said magnet poles, a shaft passing through said magnet, a rotor carried on said shaftindependently revoluble thereon and embraced by the poles of said field structure, interrupter inecha-nism operated by said shaft.

and carried on said field structure, interrupter mechanism independent of said; first mentioned mechanism, means for rotating said rotor, and means adapted to be operated in synchronism with said last means for disabling said last interrupter.

13. in combination With an internal combustion engine, an ignition dynamo having a shaft positively driven by the engine and including a rotor carried by said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mechanism actuated in synchronism with the normal running of said shaft, means for revolving said rotor independent of said shaft, and interrupter mechanism actuated in synchronism with the independent opera tion of said rotor, substantially as described.

it. In combination With an internal combustion engme', an ignitlon dynamo having a shaft positively drivenby the engine and.

the normal running of said shaft, means for revolving said rotor While the engine is at rest, interrupter mechanismv synchronously operated during the last mentioned actuation of said rotor, and means for disabling said last interrupter hen said engine-driven shaft is operating, substantially as described.

16. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an ignition dynamo having a shaft positively driven by the engine, a

rotor carried by said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mechanism actuated. in synchronism with the running of said shaft, and auxiliary interrupter mechanism operatively controlled by the position of said first interrupter" mechanism for the purpose specified, substantially as described. i

17. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an ignition dynamo having a distributor, a shaft positively driven by the engine and driving said distributor, a rotor carried by said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mecha-" nism actuated in synchronism with the nor-. mal running of said shaft, means for revolving said rotor from said shaft, means for revolving said rotor independently of said shaft, and interrupter mechanism actuated in synchronism with the independent operation of said rotor.

'18. in combination with an internal combustion engine, an ignition. dynamo having a. distributor, a shaft positively driven by rotor carried by said shaft and independently revoluble thereon, interrupter mechanism actuated in synchronism With the normal running of said shaft, means for revolving said shaft, interrupter mechanism actuated in synchronism with the independent operation of said rotor, and means operated by the running of said engine for disabling said last interrupter. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. SAMUEL CHRISTOPHER MCKEOWN. Y Witnesses:

R. Snnnnn,

M. W. BARTLETT.

the engine and driving said distributor, a

said rotor from said shaft, means for revolving said rotor independently of 

